Guide catheter assemblies are employed as conduits for delivery of payloads such as cardiac pacing leads into the vasculature. Guide catheter assemblies typically include a flexible lead slidably received in a somewhat less flexible guide catheter. The distal ends of such leads are sometimes pre-formed with a curvature adapted to facilitate access of particular anatomic features, for example, lateral branch veins of the coronary sinus. However, pacing leads are typically of a length and flexibility such that the distal end of the lead exhibits little or no torque response to torqueing forces applied to the proximal end of the lead. It can be difficult to properly align the distal end of the lead to the branch veins so as to take advantage of the distal curvature of the lead.
There is a need in the art for a device and method for aligning the distal end of a pacing lead with desired anatomical features.